The Ice Bucket Challenge has a Different Meaning to Wiregrass Family

One wiregrass man brings a new meaning to the ice bucket challenge’s cause.

"Doctors don't want to give you the diagnosis because it's a death sentence, there’s nothing you can do about it. Almost everybody is given a 2-5 year prognosis. We are in our fifth year. We've lost friends who have only made it a couple of years, his brothers have both made it past the decade mark but his older brother just passed away a few weeks ago. It's very hard,” Jan Murray said.

Bill's prognosis is 2010 changed everything for the Murrays.

"It totally uprooted our lives. He had to leave his job, he had to have 24/7 care, my children had to grow up really fast,” Jan Murray said.

As the years went on, Jan watched the disease progress.

"There's never a week that goes by that there's not some kind of change. I can see less muscle, or he lost his voice completely in the past several months. I cannot even remember his voice before ALS. I found a video a couple of months ago. I lasted about 30 seconds and I had to turn it off, I couldn't stand to listen to it because it made me so sad. You have to learn to let go of those things because it's really hard. That's my man over there. I'd do anything in the world for him,” Jan Murray said.

"He can't speak so he points to an ABC chart, this is how he communicates, by spelling out every word,” Jan Murray said.

"He's trying to say he's glad for what he can do. What he can still do. He can still make people smile and he does. He makes the best of every day. He's a great example,” Jan Murray said.

Despite all that's happened, Bill's outlook on life is a bright light in the darkness.

"Bill has a saying, he's always said, keep on keeping on. He never lets anything get him down,” Jan Murray said

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